Team News

Liberty Travels to Face James Madison, Saturday

Senior Emily Duff ranks in the top eight in the CCSA in three separate events.

The Liberty swimming & diving team travels to Harrisonburg, Va., for a dual meet on Saturday at James Madison of the CAA. Saturday's meet begins at noon with the 200 medley relay at the Savage Natatorium.

Liberty (8-3, 2-1 CCSA) and James Madison (4-3, 3-0 CAA) meet for the second time this season. The Lady Flames won the first head-to-head matchup of 2014-15 by a 194-155 score on Oct. 18, 2014 at the Virginia Tech Swimming & Diving Challenge.

Saturday's meet will feature an extended program, including 13 individual events and four relays. In addition, both the one-meter and three-meter diving events are scheduled to be contested.

How to Follow the Lady Flames Saturday's meet will be available for viewing through live video streaming. The live webcast will be available on James Madison's MadiZone streaming site. Please follow appropriate links on the swimming & diving schedule page on LibertyFlames.com.

The Lady Flames are 2-0 all-time in dual-meet competition against James Madison. Liberty downed the Dukes, 194-155, on Oct. 18, 2014 at the Virginia Tech Swimming & Diving Challenge in the teams' last meeting. The Lady Flames defeated JMU, 191.5-157.5, during the first matchup, Oct. 11, 2013 at Christiansburg Aquatic Center.

The Lady Flames have gone 8-3 so far in dual-meet action this season, including 2-1 in CCSA competition. Liberty posted a win over a Pac-12 team for the first time in program history, downing Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore., on Oct. 10. The Lady Flames were ranked No. 47 in the first CollegeSwimming.com Power Rankings this season, marking the third year in a row that the Lady Flames have appeared in the season's first national rankings.

Liberty opened the new year in Fort Myers, Fla., competing at the Florida Gulf Coast Quad Meet on Jan. 3. The defending conference champion Lady Flames defeated both Central Connecticut and CCSA foe Campbell, while falling to host and 2014 CCSA runner-up Florida Gulf Coast. While in Fort Myers, freshman Prudence Rooker won the 200 individual medley in 2:05.96, entering Liberty's all-time top five in the process.

Two Lady Flames have received recognition from the conference so far this season, as junior Kendall Hough was named CCSA Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 14 and Rooker earned the weekly honor on Nov. 4.

Hough has posted the Lady Flames' top times in the 50 free (23.40), 100 free (51.02) and 100 back (56.34) so far this season. She has earned five individual event victories on the campaign. She currently ranks third in the CCSA in the 100 free, fourth in the 100 back and sixth for the 50 free.

Rooker has made an immediate impact for the Lady Flames. She won the 200 individual medley at the Florida Gulf Coast Quad Meet, in 2:05.96, putting her fifth on Liberty's all-time list. She is currently seventh in the conference in the 200 IM and eighth in both the 100 breaststroke (1:05.51) and 200 breaststroke (2:22.04).

Sophomore Heather McCorkel won both the 200 and 500 free versus Richmond on Oct. 31, including a pool-record 1:52.32 in the 200 freestyle. She holds the second-fastest CCSA 200 free time this season, at 1:50.22, while sitting in fifth for 500 free, at 5:01.90. McCorkel is Liberty's 200 and 500 free record holder.

Junior Hannah Wakeley was victorious in the 1,000 free and 200 fly on Oct. 31 against Richmond. She won the 1,000 free in a pool-best time of 10:26.18. Wakeley ranks fourth in CCSA standings in the 1,650 free (17:03.76) and fifth for the 1,000 free.

Senior Emily Duff placed second in both the 100 back (57.52) and 200 back (2:03.01) at the FGCU Quad Meet. She boasts the third-best 200 back (2:01.23) time in the CCSA this year, while ranking sixth in the 400 individual medley (4:29.85) and seventh in the 100 back (56.74).

Sophomore Morgan Noonan is ranked seventh in the CCSA with a 200 breaststroke time of 2:21.14. Freshman Kendall Hart has led the way for Liberty in the 100 fly this season, rated fifth in the CCSA with a season-best 56.92.

Junior Kristin VanDeventer, the program's record holder at 1,000 and 1,650, has swum the seventh-fastest 1,650 free in the CCSA this season, 17:14.08. Senior Cori Gary ranks eighth in CCSA standings at 23.70 for the 50 free.

This year's team includes 12 newcomers, with 11 freshmen and one transfer comprising nearly half of Liberty's 25-person roster. The Lady Flames' group of returning student-athletes is highlighted by six CCSA individual medalists, and two additional swimmers who competed on medal-winning relays at the conference championship meet last year.

James Madison James Madison, the 2014 CAA runner-up, is off to a 4-3 start, including 3-0 in conference meets, so far this season. The Dukes are on a three-meet winning streak, defeating league opponents Delaware, UNCW and William & Mary at the CAA Pod Meet in early November.

Redshirt sophomore Taryn McLaughlin, the 2014 CAA Diver of the Year, has qualified for NCAA Zone A Championships in both one-meter and three-meter diving. McLaughlin has been named CAA Diver of the Week twice this season. Senior Sin Hye Won, the first-ever JMU swimmer to compete in the NCAA Championships, was voted CAA Women's Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 22. Junior Camilla Czulada ranks sixth in the CAA in the 100 free at 1:51.68, while senior Aimee Hooper is ranked seventh in the 1,000 free at 10:31.79.

After Saturday's meet at James Madison, Liberty will next compete in a pair of meets at UNCW, Jan. 30 and 31. The Lady Flames will participate in the UNCW Tri Meet on Jan. 30 before concluding their dual-meet schedule, Jan. 31 at the UNCW Quad Meet.